Harold Dean Finch caught the pickup thief in the act, and he paid with his life.

The Canyon man was killed early Tuesday when a teenager ran over him with his 2011 GMC pickup outside his Hunsley Hills home off a Palo Duro Creek Golf Course fairway, police said.

Randall County authorities arrested Apollo Rivera-Rodriguez, 17, of Canyon, on murder, auto theft and driving while intoxicated charges. He remained in the Randall County jail Tuesday evening.

Finch, 29, and an unidentified friend confronted Rivera-Rodriguez, and the friend fired several shots from a handgun at the pickup tires before the teen sped away from Finch’s brick home on Birdie Cove, police said. The teen abandoned the truck near the seventh hole of the golf course and fled, police said. Authorities found him several hours later, nearly five miles away in an unlocked camper near Rockwell Road and Russ Avenue, said William Layton, who lives nearby.

Finch planned to catch the thief after his pickup was stolen Saturday and returned the following day, longtime friend and coworker Chris Lyons said. The former schoolteacher left the keys inside before it was taken the first time and found it Sunday with the keys gone, the driver’s seat moved forward and the interior reeking of smoke, Lyons said.

“Dean was waiting for them,” Lyons said. “I think he was watching close because he was scared of them doing it again. He just happened to catch them in the act of doing it.”

About 12:10 a.m., Canyon police found Finch’s friend tending to him after the truck ran over him. Neighbor Shane Gregory walked outside after he heard gunshots and screeching tires, he said.

“Dean was on the ground,” Gregory said. “He had really erratic breathing, very labored.”

An ambulance rushed Finch to a local hospital, where he died.

Finch’s mother declined to comment.

James Farren, the county’s criminal district attorney, said authorities called him Tuesday morning to give him an incident summary.

“The allegation is that there had been more than one time when the vehicle had been taken,” he said. “It’s my understanding that the victim had made reports previously, but I can’t say the defendant did those.”

Farren’s office is reviewing the case.

“We don’t have to prove that he intended someone to die, but that he intended to commit the underlying felony — theft — and then someone died in the process.”

Finch, who had two children, worked as a real estate agent for Lyons Realty for about seven years, said Lyons, who co-owns the business.

Finch was promoted to office manager two weeks ago, he said. He taught business in the Hart and Hereford independent school districts.

“Dean was one of those guys who was super positive and a hard worker,” Lyons said.